5 Proven Ways To Overcome Obstacles & Create A Life You Love

We all experience setbacks at some point in our lives. 

I recently overcame one...

The demands of being a daughter, mom, and professional during COVID hit hard. When things finally calmed down, I wasn’t in a place emotionally, physically, or cognitively to set goals, be consistent, or make any commitments to myself. On the outside, it looked like I had it all. But on the inside...

I was crumbling. 

It took everything in me just to make it through the day. After realizing what was happening, I knew I had two choices: keep spiraling, or break the cycle. 

I started to make small (but profound) shifts in my every day life that supported my mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I learned how to ask for help and built a strong community that helped me be able to show up for myself, family, and friends in meaningful ways.

In this blog post, I'm going to be sharing some of the top mindset shifts and wellness strategies that helped me overcome my setback and create a life I love. 

5 Proven Ways To Overcome Obstacles & Create A Life You Love

1. Acknowledge Your Feelings and Process Them

Whenever a hardship in life is thrown into your path, the most important thing is to take a break and process it. It’s human nature to want to automatically move into fixing mode. Oftentimes, we believe it is better to push through the pain without acknowledging our feelings. 

However, this can greatly hinder your healing process. When you deny or minimize your feelings, it becomes much more challenging to move forward.
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One simple tool you can use to process your feelings is to journal. 

​Journaling can help you accept instead of judge your thoughts. This can result in fewer negative emotions experienced in response to stress.

Writing down your thoughts can help you to express and explore your emotions in a safe and private space, gain clarity and perspective on your thoughts and experiences, identify patterns and triggers, and develop a deeper understanding of yourself and your emotional needs. 

2. Learn From Your Setbacks

Reframe the setback as a learning opportunity. You can learn more about yourself, your relationships, your values, and your impact on the world when you experience an obstacle.   

Here are some tips to use when you’re contemplating your setback and the reason behind it:

• Use this setback to determine what you want or don’t want in the next stage of your life.

• Identify what you have learned from the setback so you will know what to do differently next time. 

• Be grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow and to see things from a new perspective. 

• Understand this is an opportunity to reassess your life, values, and relationships.

Ultimately, you should focus on what you can control rather than perseverate over things that are out of your control. This will help you reduce those feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. 

As a result, you can focus on what you can fix, and break tasks into manageable pieces that can be completed one at a time. This is an important building block in creating a life you love. 
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3. Plan Your Next Steps
Once you have reevaluated your goals and set new ones, now is the time to take action. 

It's easy to get stuck in a rut, but if you’ve put in the work to acknowledge your feelings and learn from this experience, planning the next steps can help you move forward. 

• Start Small: It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you set goals that are too large for you to handle at the moment. Small goals that are specific, measurable, and achievable can help you build momentum. 

 

• Break Those Small Goals Down: Daily and weekly tasks are simple and effective ways to keep you motivated to get back out there, and also keep you working towards your goals. As you accomplish a task, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, which will motivate you to keep striving.

 

• Build a Support System: Surround yourself with individuals who support you and your goals. Lean on family and friends for support and find a mentor with a similar experience to help guide you along the way. 

 

• Track Your Progress: Seeing your progress, no matter how small, can be a powerful motivator. As you work towards your goals, you are witnessing firsthand all the obstacles you overcome. As a result, your self-esteem will increase and your confidence will grow.  

 

• Stay Flexible: Sometimes goals need to be adjusted, and that's okay. If something isn't working for you, change course. It will be easier for you to sustain your momentum toward your dream life once you identify any obstacles or challenges holding you back. 

It's important to keep taking action toward your goals, even when it feels difficult or daunting. I suggest reading James Clear's book Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones to help you get started! 

4. Prioritize Your Physical & Emotional Health

When you're going through a difficult time, it's easy to lose lose momentum and fall back into old habits. However, taking care of yourself is crucial if you're looking to overcome the difficult situation you are in. 

Be sure to focus on: 

• Physical Health: A setback can have a detrimental effect on your physical health. Physical health problems can be caused by stress since it can cause headaches, upset stomachs, increase blood pressure, chest pain, and sleep problems. Taking care of yourself can prevent you from experiencing these symptoms. 

 

• Emotional Health: Maintaining a healthy emotional state will help you cope better with the setback. Keeping a positive attitude will help you stay motivated and maintain momentum. Both of these are essential if you want to live a life you enjoy.

Overcoming one setback will better prepare you for any future obstacles you may face. 

Here are my tips for building a healthy lifestyle that will help you overcome your setback: 

• Surround yourself with people who support you. 
• Go outside in nature every day.
• Sleep at least 7-8hrs per night.
• Practice joyful movement for 10-30min a day. 
• Feed your body nourishing foods that make you feel healthy and energized. 
• Consider enrolling in one of our Nutrition & Lifestyle Coaching Programs.
• Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation.​

5. Pay It Forward 

If you have experienced a setback that you once believed was impossible to overcome, think about how your experiences can be used to help those who are in a similar position.

Small acts of kindness and support can make a big impact on someone's life. 

By giving back and helping others, you can turn your difficult situation into an opportunity to make a positive difference in the world.

Here Are 10 Ways to Pay it Forward: 

1. Donate warm blankets and delicious food items to the homeless
2. Make a nourishing meal for someone who is struggling. 
3. Send a thoughtful care package with a handwritten letter to our troops overseas. 
4. Pay it forward at your favorite drive-thru and pay for the order of the person (or people) behind you.
5. Create only loving, empathetic, kind, and encouraging posts and comments on social media. 
6. Mail a thoughtful letter to a loved one telling them how much they mean to you.
7. Donate to a charity that you've been wanting to support.  
8. Mow your neighbor's lawn or shovel their driveway. 
9. Leave a care package on your neighbor’s front porch step.
10.  Volunteer at your local animal shelter.​

Every journey has setbacks, but they don't have to define you. 

By acknowledging your feelings, reframing setbacks as opportunities, taking action, practicing self-care, getting support, paying it forward and continually learning and growing, you can overcome setbacks and create a life you love.

I’ve experienced setbacks that kept me from living to my full potential. 

I’m here to tell you: 

• There IS hope for your future.   
• There ARE possibilities for your health.  
• There IS change on the horizon.   
• You DO have the ability to find yourself.   
• You CAN have control over your life.

You have the power to create the life you desire. You just need to be brave enough to make it a reality.

Let’s make today be your Turning Pointe! 

Click HERE to contact me today. 

I look forward to hearing how I can help you create a life you love. 

Tina Musselman